B&P Dove & Quail Steel 12ga 1oz 7 Shot – Great Lead Free

Description

More and more dove fields and public hunting areas now require non toxic shot, whether or not there is water anywhere nearby. The B&P Dove & Quail Steel 12ga 1oz 7 Shot is the answer to that rule for upland hunting, a one ounce steel load running 1375 feet per second in a standard 2 3/4 inch shell.

• Steel is not lead, and the load reflects that
• Full specifications
• Where you will actually need this
• Honest notes before you buy
• Steel shot and old barrels
• The bottom line

Steel is not lead, and the load reflects that

Steel pellets are roughly a third less dense than lead, which means a steel pellet of a given size carries less energy and sheds it faster. Manufacturers compensate two ways: by driving the load faster and by going up in pellet size. The B&P Dove & Quail Steel 12ga 1oz 7 Shot does the first, running 1375 feet per second against the 1200 or so a comparable lead load uses.

The usual rule of thumb is to go up about two shot sizes when switching from lead to steel. Number 7 steel is roughly equivalent in downrange effect to number 9 lead, which is why the B&P Dove & Quail Steel 12ga 1oz 7 Shot is a close range dove and quail load rather than a general purpose upland shell.

Full specifications

• Caliber: 12 gauge, 2 3/4 inch shell
• Bullet weight: 1 ounce of steel, 7 shot grain
• Bullet: 7 steel shot, non toxic
• Muzzle velocity: 1375 fps
• Muzzle energy: not published for shotshells ft-lbs
• Ballistic coefficient (G1): not applicable to shotshells
• Case: reloadable boxer primed brass
• Quantity: 20 rounds per box
• Part number: 25 rounds per box

The higher velocity is doing real work here. Because steel loses energy faster, starting it faster is how you keep useful energy at twenty five or thirty yards. The B&P Dove & Quail Steel 12ga 1oz 7 Shot at 1375 feet per second also shortens your lead noticeably compared to a 1200 fps lead load, which takes some adjustment on crossing doves.

Where you will actually need this

Plenty of state wildlife areas and managed dove fields now mandate non toxic shot across the whole property. Some states are moving toward non toxic requirements for all upland hunting on public land. If you hunt public ground, the B&P Dove & Quail Steel 12ga 1oz 7 Shot is increasingly the shell you are required to use rather than the one you chose.

It is also simply good practice around water. Dove fields often sit next to ponds and sloughs where waterfowl feed, and lead shot accumulates. Using the B&P Dove & Quail Steel 12ga 1oz 7 Shot avoids the question entirely and keeps you clearly inside the regulation wherever you are hunting.

Honest notes before you buy

Steel also patterns tighter than lead through the same choke, because the pellets do not deform and spread. Shooters switching to steel usually find they want a more open choke than they are used to, which is worth knowing before you blame the B&P Dove & Quail Steel 12ga 1oz 7 Shot for a pattern that will not open up.

Be honest about range. Steel 7 shot runs out of authority quickly, and thirty yards is a realistic maximum on dove. Past that you will wound birds rather than kill them. The B&P Dove & Quail Steel 12ga 1oz 7 Shot is a close range non toxic load and treating it as anything else does nobody any favors, least of all the birds.

Steel shot and old barrels

This matters and it is easy to miss. Steel pellets do not deform, so they scrub the bore and the choke on the way out. Modern barrels with steel rated chokes handle the B&P Dove & Quail Steel 12ga 1oz 7 Shot without issue. Fixed full choke barrels, older guns and fine doubles should not be shot with steel unless the maker says otherwise.

Check your choke tubes too. Many tubes made before the steel era are not rated for it, and running the B&P Dove & Quail Steel 12ga 1oz 7 Shot through one risks bulging the tube or the barrel. If your tube is not marked steel safe, buy one that is, and use improved cylinder or modified rather than full.

The bottom line

For dove and quail on ground where lead is not allowed, the B&P Dove & Quail Steel 12ga 1oz 7 Shot is a fast, well made non toxic option that keeps you legal. You can read more about the bullet design at swiftbullets.com, or browse the rest of our stock on the MAG5 Firearms ammunition page.

MAG5 Firearms keeps the B&P Dove & Quail Steel 12ga 1oz 7 Shot in stock and moving, and we are glad to talk through bullet choice before you order. If you are working up a load for a new rifle, a single box of the B&P Dove & Quail Steel 12ga 1oz 7 Shot is a sensible place to start.